Plato: Laws 10

Translated with an Introduction and Commentary

edited by Robert Mayhew

Description

The Laws is Plato's last and longest dialogue. Although it has been neglected (compared to such works as the Republic and Symposium), it is beginning to receive a great deal of scholarly attention. Book 10 of the Laws contains Plato's fullest defence of the existence of the gods, and his last word on their nature, as well as a presentation and defence of laws against impiety (e.g. atheism). Plato's primary aim is to defend the idea that the gods exist and that they are good - this latter meaning that they do not neglect human beings and cannot be swayed by prayers and sacrifices to overlook injustice. As such, the Laws is an important text for anyone interested in ancient Greek religion, philosophy, and politics generally, and the later thought of Plato in
particular.

Robert Mayhew presents a new translation, with commentary, of Book 10 of the Laws. His primary aim in the translation is fidelity to the Greek. His commentary focuses on philosophical issues (broadly understood to include religion and politics), and deals with philological matters only when doing so serves to better explain those issues. Knowledge of Greek is not assumed, and the Greek that does appear has been transliterated. It is the first commentary in English of any kind on Laws 10 for nearly 140 years.

Table of Contents

Plato: Laws 10

Translated with an Introduction and Commentary

edited by Robert Mayhew

Reviews and Awards

"Mayhew's book is a welcome contribution to and an eagerly awaited innovation in Plato scholarship. He offers a rich, clear, and well-balanced treatment of his complex subject, and his book is to be highly recommended as a companion to readers of the Laws." --Ancient Philosophy

"[T]his is a book that anyone seriously interested in Plato's Laws will want to consult.... a clear, useful, and judicious examination of a too-long neglected text. I have no doubt that it will both stimulate new interest in Laws 10 and provide a sturdy foundation for further study of it."--Nathan Powers, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews

"The introduction does a fine job of situating Book 10 within the Laws as a whole, covering a lot of important material that a reader neglecting the earlier books of the Laws should be acquainted with before approaching the theology of Book 10. The translation accompanying the commentary is clear, accurate, and readable, and it is handy to have the text and commentary in one volume.... The chief strength of this work is the accuracy and lucidity with which Mayhew explicates and summarizes Plato's arguments, for Mayhew has the ability to articulate the sometimes obtuse arguments of Laws 10 without oversimplifying them or leaving out important steps.... Mayhew's commentary is a work that will prove helpful to scholars seeking a clearer understanding of the arguments of Book
10 of Plato's Laws."--Lewis Trelawny?Cassity, Bryn Mawr Classical Review